New to the Neighborhood

This morning, on my way home from the coffee shop, I walked by Compadres. The windows of the shuttered Mexican restaurant have been dark for weeks. Just inside the glass doors stood empty tables once stacked with chip baskets, and a bar still stocked to mix margaritas. But since the family-run chain closed locations up and down the state, this storefront at Park Blvd. and Wellington St. has remained quiet. Farewell notes from the employees were taped to the door. Not since the Cantina closed here have the lights been off for this long.

Rest assured, a new restaurant is coming. Just last week at the Glenview Neighborhood Association meeting I learned that À Côté will move into 4239 Park. Pretty exciting news if you’ve tasted their mussels cooked in Pernod, or read the raving reviews from the Chron and New York Times. According to a rep. from City Councilman Ignacio De La Fuente’s office, the owners are applying for a liquor license. (Compadres surrendered theirs upon closing.) More murmurs from the Glenfriends have indicated that he new À Côté will serve South American fare. This will be another gourmet feather in the G’view’s culinary cap.

I’m looking forward to a place to get a drink after a day’s work. When I waited tables at the now-closed Purple Plum restaurant (before it bloomed into the Banana Blossom), I’d stop in at Compadres for a Corona with lime. (This was before the Plum could legally serve rum in their famous mohitos.) These days I’ve the luxury of choice; Italian restaurants Bellanico and now Marzano have opened within the last year, both with full-bodied wine lists and mouth-watering menus. Marzano has several dishes that include my favorite lettuce—the leafy, peppery, “elitist” arugula.